In 2006, my daughter bet I couldn't eat a different chocolate each day for a year. I enjoyed that year so much that, after 12 years, I'm still eating a different chocolate each day. And, after 4,500+ chocolates, there are still many more to try. Thank you to all who continue to be part of this global adventure.

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Umami or Bacon Theme Week.
Bacon tastes good to my L-glutamate taste receptors; that's umami talking. My taste buds and I headed to Marini's Candies (Santa Cruz, CA -- since 1915) yesterday to pick up some chocolate and bacon items.

Umami-loving veggie eaters like me can enjoy a savory turkey or quinoa burger with mushrooms and parmesan cheese, with a little kimchee on the side -- and also covet bacon. Yep. Bacon is one of the main reasons I'm not vegetarian. I've cut back on red meat consumption over the years; however, bacon still beckons. I am an umamiarian.

Despite advances in chicken apple sausage for breakfast, bacon is still the morning meat of choice I believe.

So, move over brunch pastries. Hand me a strip of this milk chocolate covered bacon with a light swizzle of maple icing from Marini's instead.

Yes, these strips were drenched in a lot of sugar sweetness that I don't normally enjoy. The secret was in the perfectly oven-baked, hickory-smoked bacon that Marini's used. The protein, and salty, smoky and umami flavors helped balance out the sugar. The maple flavor was pleasant; and the light touch on the icing was great. Any more frosting would've buried the bacon in a sugar avalanche.

For the adventurous, try Marini's spicy hot Milk Chocolate Bacon with Chili. The spicy chili level was a bit too much for me. I couldn't taste the bacon anymore. However, it may delight others. Perhaps a strip of this bacon could be chopped up with some mild, fresh peppers to snazz up some scrambled eggs?

Early Inclinations Toward Chocolate

Banquet Aftermath

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Enjoying life indoors and outdoors in the San Francisco Bay Area.
What if you accepted a bet that you couldn't eat a different chocolate for a year...and got more than you bargained for. See www.chocolatebanquet.com to find out more.